| Abstract |
Particle physics attempts to answer the question, 'what are the most fundamental constituents of matter and how do they interact.' The particles that we encounter day to day, such as electrons, photons, and protons, and the forces we experience, such as electromagnetism, only make up a small part of a much larger picture. The Standard Model of particle physics is the theory of fundamental particles, and how they interact through the electromagnetic, weak, and strong forces. The fundamental particles consist of three generations of fermions, a set of force-mediating vector bosons, and a scalar boson. The fundamental fermions, which make up all matter, consist of three generations of quarks and leptons that occur in pairs. All everyday matter is made up of first generation particles. The second and third generation particles, with the possible exception of the neutrinos, live for only a brief time, and are typically only observed by particle detectors. Quarks possess electric charge as well as 'color' charge, and interact via the strong, electromagnetic, and weak forces. The leptons, on the other hand, do not possess 'color' and only interact through the electromagnetic and weak forces. |
